In one of the better games to kick off Saturday afternoon, No. 5 Clemson (3-0) will head down to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to face No. 21 Wake Forest (3-0) at Truist Field (noon ET, ABC). When these two ACC Atlantic rivals played each other last season, the Tigers crushed the Demon Deacons 48-27 at Memorial Stadium.
Wake Forest's defense did not have any answers for the Tigers' ground game, which ripped off 333 yards and four touchdowns. Kobe Pace led both teams with a game-high 191 yards on 24 carries and two scores. Will Shipley also added 112 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. It was one of the Tigers' best performances last season against a Wake Forest squad that won the Atlantic division and played in the ACC title game vs. Pittsburgh.
The Demon Deacons are coming off of a hard-fought 37-36 win at home against Liberty to stay undefeated. Junior quarterback Sam Hartman played decently in his second start of the season, completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Two of his touchdown passes went to sophomore wide receiver Jahmal Banks (six receptions for 55 yards). However, Wake Forest's running game was non-existent, as it could put up just 21 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side, Wake Forest allowed Liberty to post 172 yards and two scores on the ground. The Demon Deacons' ground attack must wake up on Saturday, especially if they want to pull the upset.
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As for Clemson, all eyes will be on junior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who has the talent to be one of the better signal-callers in the country but hasn't put it altogether. This season, Uiagaeleli is completing 64.8 percent of his passes for 662 yards, five touchdowns, and an interception. The 6-4 quarterback was solid in Clemson's 48-20 win last week over Louisiana Tech, completing 17-of-29 passes for 221 yards, and two scores while adding 62 rushing yards. The Tigers are going to need their veteran quarterback to play at his best in what will be Clemson's first true road test this season.
Below, we'll break down what you need to know before you bet on this Week 3 matchup between Clemson and Wake Forest.
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Clemson vs. Wake Forest odds
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
- Spread: Clemson -7.5
- Over/under: 55.5
- Moneyline: Clemson -305; Wake Forest +240
Three trends to know
— Clemson is 10-0 straight up in its past 10 games against Wake Forest and 6-0 straight up in its past six road games against the Demon Deacons.
— However, Wake Forest is 11-0 straight up in its past 11 home games, but it's 1-4 against the spread in past five games when listed as an underdog.
— 75 percent of the money and 77 percent of the tickets are coming in on the Tigers to cover the spread, according to BetQL.
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Three things to watch
— Will the Demon Deacons' running game show up?: If Wake Forest wants to pull off the upset and stay undefeated on Saturday, it will need to get something from its running game. This season, the Demon Deacons are averaging 128 yards per game, which isn't bad, considering their best performance was against VMI in Week 1 (212 yards and two touchdowns). In last season's matchup, the Tigers' defense stymied Wake's' ground attack, making them a one-dimensional offense. Clemson's defense is only giving up 69 rushing yards per game this season. No one expects Wake to rush for 150 yards on Saturday, but if they can at least put up 80 yards, it will help out QB Sam Hartman a ton.
— The continued development of DJ Uiagalelei: Many fans were down on Uiagalelei last season after he didn't live up to what we saw from him as a freshman in 2020. However, it seems the California native has figured it out and playing better this season for the Tigers. He's on pace to surpass his touchdown passes total from last season (9), as he already has five through three games. He's also done a good job of taking care of the ball (no interceptions) and has a high QB rating (144.4). If Uiagalelei can perform well on Saturday, it will help change the narrative about him as a pro prospect.
— Sam Hartman vs. Clemson's defense: On the other sideline, Hartman will be looking to get his receivers involved in the passing game and put up points against the Tigers' defense. In last season's contest against Clemson, Hartman completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 312 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. It was not enough, as Clemson exploded in the second half en route to a 21-point win. However, we know Hartman is not afraid to test any defense and will look to air it out against the Tigers, who are allowing 243.7 yards per game.
Clemson vs. Wake Forest prediction
This will be a high-scoring game between these two ACC Atlantic contenders, as both quarterbacks will be under the spotlight. We should expect solid performances from Uiagalelei and Hartman, who will put their respective teams in a position to win. However, Wake Forest's running game is a big question mark. Will Shipley has run the ball well to start the season and will find his way into the end zone to help the Tigers win on the road.
Final score: Clemson 35, Wake Forest 28. Wake (+7.5) covers the spread on the road, while the total goes OVER.
